


they cant see him

by Cyb3rl1f3



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Apocalypse, Ben is sad, Drug Abuse, Drug Addiction, F/F, F/M, Good Sister Vanya Hargreeves, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mental Breakdown, My First Fanfic, Number Five | The Boy Has Issues, Number Five | The Boy Needs A Hug, Panic Attacks, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Klaus Hargreeves, Starvation, Tagging as I go, dolores - Freeform, fuck luthor lives, nobody believes klaus, vanya is gay
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-24
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2019-12-06 23:40:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18226985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyb3rl1f3/pseuds/Cyb3rl1f3
Summary: It’s a flicker at first, a sign he recognized as a ghost desperately clawing against the fabric of reality, to be heard by the medium. A strange smell of death, fire and ash invades klaus’s nose, and there's a dim panic swelling in his stomach. He doesn't know why he feels so obliged to watch this particular ghost struggle- though he knows distantly that it must be powerful for it to contact him in his drugged up state.When it finally materializes, it stares at Klaus with an empty look for a long moment. Klaus takes the time to look at it. Its dirty, soaked head to toe in ash, reeking of death and fire. The boy- which klaus assumes as much by a tattered school boy uniform- has to be only sixteen or so. Skinny and frail. His eyes draw toward hollow green eyes, a strong jaw bone, and a wild flop of curly brown-black hair and shit Klaus realizes, its five.He's dead, and his ghost is here.





	1. junkie heartbreak

**Author's Note:**

> hey!! this is my first fic owo. my writing is pretty shitty so honest apologies. also, im pretty busy, so updates might be slow, sorry!

When Five left the academy, everyone was heartbroken. 

Though he was an asshole, the Hargreeves can agree, he was still their brother. The same brother who would sneak snacks from the kitchen to sate Bens larger apatite. The same brother who rebelliously fought against Reginald to let Klaus wear skirts like Allison and Vanya. The same brother who covered for his siblings mistakes and suffered through his father's blows. 

When he left, everything fell to shit. 

Ben died. Klaus submitted to drugs. Vanya ran from home, in a surprising bout of grief-fueled confidence. Allison escaped with Vanya, and Diego followed suit. leaving Luther as the last remaining Hargreeve sibling. 

He pretends like he didn’t miss them. 

And life, sadly, went on. Each sibling struggled on with life and their shared yet individual trauma, feeling all alone in the too big world. Their past carried on with them wherever they went. Nobody could escape. 

Then, in a wonderful moment of shock and awe, dear old father dies. A heart attack. The siblings unite once again, missing two boys, for some meager attempt at a funeral. Klaus can’t lie when he notes how much joy knowing the old man no longer wastes space gives him. It’s a freeing feeling. Ben even agrees from his spot next to klaus, hood drawn up and an angsty frown on his face.

klaus is in the living room, packing up his things, when he sees him. 

Five.

It’s a flicker at first, a sign he recognized as a ghost desperately clawing against the fabric of reality, to be heard by the medium. A strange smell of death, fire and ash invades klaus’s nose, and there's a dim panic swelling in his stomach. He doesn't know why he feels so obliged to watch this particular ghost struggle- though he knows distantly that it must be powerful for it to contact him in his drugged up state. 

When it finally materializes, it stares at Klaus with an empty look for a long moment. Klaus takes the time to look at it. Its dirty, soaked head to toe in ash, reeking of death and fire. The boy- which klaus assumes as much by a tattered school boy uniform- has to be only sixteen or so. Skinny and frail. His eyes draw toward hollow green eyes, a strong jaw bone, and a wild flop of curly brown-black hair and shit Klaus realizes, its five.

He's dead, and his ghost is here. 

“Five.” klaus mutters weakly. Ben, who had his back turned to them and was looking at some old photograph, turned around, about to ask if something was wrong. And he sees Five, and screams, sprinting at him full speed, arms open to hug his long lost brother. 

Instead, the ghost snaps into action, easily tripping Ben and digging his elbow into his back, sending him to the ground. Well, through the floor, because Bens a ghost, and so is Five. Five stares blankly at Ben as he rises from the hardwood floor, some tie between a hurt and bewildered look in his face, before Five turns to an equally bewildered Klaus and speaks. 

“Klaus” he growls. His voice is gravely and rough, like he had been smoking six packs a day from whatever hell on earth he materialized from. “Get sober, you asshat. I've been trying to contact you for years.” 

Klaus can't even respond. He’s frozen, fingers white knuckling the fabric of his favorite black jacket, feet rooted to the ground like they had grown roots. His mind is a whirlwind of hurt and pain and relief and, strangely, regret. He wants to scream and cry and laugh all at the same time, which he almost does, but Five interrupts him. 

“The apocalypse. It's coming. You need to warn the others- “ his body flickers briefly and klaus near screams, his body finally moving as he scrambled to fives lanky form. He solidifies with a groan after a moment, and his hollow eyes find Klaus’s warm hazel. “Save us. Its coming, Klaus. You need to stop it. Please.” his voice breaks here, sad, sounding all like the young arrogant kid he used to be. Klaus’s heart breaks. 

“Oh god- Five, fuck, Five, you- you died? You left us- oh fuck, I-I’m not, I’m not ready-” klaus rambles hurriedly, tears pricking his eyes, but Five takes no pity on him. He stares back at Klaus with eyes so haunted. Ben is standing next to him, but not saying anything, simply watching with a heartbroken face. 

Klaus knows it was him who had missed five the most. Ben and Vanya had screamed their voices raw, sobbed all their tears, begged the sky to give him back to them. Klaus had spent every night for almost a year trying to contact Five, but he never answered, so the horrible idea sunk into his skin that maybe Five had just abandoned them. He never said it, but it was clear that Luther and Diego had similar thoughts. unsurprisingly, luther seemed the least affected, even before dad. 

“Klaus-!” Ben cries, and klaus is snapped out of his tearful rambling to see Fives body quickly fade from existence. A tiny, dirt soaked hand reaches out to him, and he notes distantly that five is missing his pinkie finger, before he disappears completely, taking the smell of death and fire with him. For a long moment, nothing happens. The air is still. Even ben doesn't say anything as Klaus tries to wrap his brain around what just happened. 

“Well” Klaus mutters in a watery voice. “I-I guess we know where he went.” Ben doesn’t even bother laughing.


	2. Touch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus learns some interesting things about five, and ben makes a mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy SHIT yall im so!!!! Happy!!!!! This fic fucking slapped!! I didnt think it would get this many hits or kudos but it did and my heart is bursting! Heres the second chapter, and dw, i already have part of the third written up :)

Klaus waits. 

And waits. 

The funeral already happened earlier in the day. Though he had planned to leave as soon as it was gone, what Five said haunted the back of his mind. Was the apocalypse really coming? And if so, how would they stop it? When would it come? How much of a role did the Hargreeves play? 

Klaus is sitting at the coffee table, nursing a cup of shitty coffee. Bens rambling quietly about a book beside him when he smells it again. Death and fire and ash. 

His head snaps up so fast he got whiplash, but the pain is worth it to see Fives impossibly lanky frame materialize beside Klaus. Its suddenly hard to breathe. 

His hands ache to reach out to him, but he knows better. He would just phase through him. And, honestly, after seeing Five take down Ben so easily, he's hesitant to make any sudden moves. Clearly, the boys been through plenty. A quick glance at Ben and he sees how desperately his friend wants to touch him, but, like Klaus, knows it wouldn't end well. 

Five opens his cracked lips to speak, but Klaus cuts him off. No, he needs answers this time. 

“No-wait, shut up for a second, buddy. I need answers.” He gives Five a stern look, and cringes internally when he realizes how much of a parent he must look like right now. Its not like he can help it, Five just looks so… frail. And young. He can already feel the headache edging into his mind. Half drug induced, half trauma induced. 

Five presses his lips into a thin line, glaring at Klaus for a moment. He huffs when Klaus’ relove doesn't break. 

“I-“ his voice cracks horribly, and Five lets out a wheezing cough, before continuing like nothing happened. “-i went to the apocalypse. Its shit. Fire. Everything is dead.” His voice is clipped and weary, and his speech patterns make Klaus think that maybe Five lost his grip on the english language a tad. Ben lets out a strangled noise from his spot beside Klaus, but Five doesn’t spare him a glance. 

“Starved to death. Ran out of cockroaches. Was nineteen. Then- spent a long time trying to contact you.” Five watches Klaus expectantly, though hes not sure why. Klaus, for the second time that day, is speechless. A lump in his throat keeps him from talking for a long moment. 

Cockroaches. Fucking cockroaches. Was that what the kid had been living off of? This also meant he spent a whole six years in the apocalypse. This was beyond fucked up. 

“Oh.” Is all Klaus can say, and the air would have been tense with silence, but suddenly Ben's moving towards Five. 

Klaus knows that ghosts can interact with each other. Ben doesn't like to because, on some level, ben still considers himself living. Maybe it's the prolonged contact between him and his brother, but whatever it is, it keeps him from interacting with other ghosts. Klaus is somewhat appreciative. Now, though, Ben has a chance at touching someone he had loved dearly. It was all he had been hoping for since his early death. 

Five, doesn't seem to agree. 

Ben reaches forwards and gently sets a hand onto Fives shoulder. Klaus’ heart stops as fives face morphs from blank, to shocked, to horrified, tearing his arm away from Benlike his touch had burned. Hes shaking, violently, breaths heaving despite not truly needing to breath. 

“DON'T TOUCH ME!” He shrieks, and, just like that, he's gone. The smell Five seemed to perpetually carry with him evaporates once again. 

The silence stretches between the brothers for a long moment- neither knowing what to say about the complicated situation. Ben looks upset, face crumpled and dejected. 

“That went well.” Klaus grumbled. He almost, almost wanted to be mad at ben, but how could he? Hell, Ben was probably more touch starved then he was. Or any of the hargreeve siblings for that matter. 

Klaus shifted back to the table, chugging back the rest of the coffee before standing up with a huff. The chair scraped behind him and startled Ben, who let out an undignified squawk. Panic was seeping into his limbs bit by bit, making him jittery and shaky. He could already feel an anxiety attack along the way. 

Ben gave him a look. Klaus glared at him. Ben disappeared, something he only ever did when he was angry, and klaus ventured out of the kitchen, searching for a bottle of whiskey to soothe his pain.


	3. Breakfast delight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Klaus and Diego get breakfast. Angst ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAaaaaa i love u guys... so much..... i didnt think this story would get so much love!! Also sorry for the wait for this chapter, i acidentally wrote longer then i normally do, plus school. Fyi i have a stupid complicated living situation which sometimes makes it hard to post om certian days/weeks. Anyways, uh, if you guys wanna contact me, heres my social medias!!:   
> instagram:bubblegum_boyy   
> tumblr: speedy-boy-wonder   
> discord: my sweet delores#7832

Klaus’ hand hovers over the neck of a jack daniels whiskey bottle. The glass is smooth and soft, the logo almost comforting after so many years of chugging it down. It's a shitty whiskey, but he's drank worse, so it doesn't really matter. On any other circumstance, the cap would have been off and the warm liquid would be burning his throat right now, but something holds him back. A promise. A stupid, oh so stupid promise to Ben. That he would lay off the drugs and alcohol. That he would go clean. 

 

What a shitty mistake. 

 

He can't go clean. Even if it's for Fives sake- he  _ needs _ this. The more he thinks about it, the more his skin itches for a fix. If Five was strong enough to contact him through his last high’s phase, he should be able to contact him through this one, right? 

 

He doesnt get to finish the thought, or the drink, because a leather-clad distraction walks in. Diego. Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Klaus lets his hand drop from the bottle neck, turning to Diego and casually leaning against the counter. 

 

His brother doesn't notice him at first, searching for his car keys. Klaus spots them next to the bar, scooping them up and twirling them around his finger. A devious smile crosses his face and his heart flutters in excitement. 

 

“Looking for these?” Klaus asks in the cheesiest, most seductive way possible, and Diego turns to him with an incredibly unimpressed expression. Its silent for a moment, the diegos moving forwards, reaching for the key ring. Klaus easily holds it over his brothers head, standing on the tip of his toes just to prove his point. 

 

“Klaus!” Diego snarled, jumping once, before sighing in experastion and taking a step back. Klaus gives him a cheeky smile and dangles them over his head, enjoying the quiet jingle that sounds through the living room. 

 

“What do you want?” Diego grumbles, moving away from Klaus and instead grabbing his jacket slung over the back of the couch. Without giving it a second though, Klaus has the bottle of whiskey tucked into the interior pocket of his jacket. The liquid sloshes quietly and the chill glass presses against his bare skin. 

 

“Breakfast!” Klaus chimes happily, breezing over to Diego and slipping a gangly arm over his shoulder. Diego gives him a well-deserved strange look, because, currently, it was 9 pm at night. Klaus only smiles in response, guiding his brother out of the house and into the chill night air. It's pretty out, he thinks. The moon shines bright, unburned by pesky clouds. Klaus considers it a metaphor for how people often got in the way of his majesty. 

 

“Klaus, I have errands to do-“ 

 

“Doughnuts! Waffles!-“ 

 

“ _ Klaus-“ _

 

“Breakfast!” There's a silence, and Klaus knows he's won. Grinning triumphantly, he hands diego his keys back, then slides into the backseat. Ben materalizes next to him, hood up, staring at his feet, and Klaus knows that Bens still angry at him. 

 

“Where do you want to go?” Diego asks in the whiniest, most exasperated tone possible, and klaus giggles before lightly slapping the headrest in front of him. 

 

“That doughnut place we went to as kids! Remember? We snuck out at night- five got kicked out cause he kept carving into the table, and luther accidentally crushed at  _ least _ five cups of hot chocolate!” A warm smile graces Diego’s usually dark expression. A sense of accomplishment beams down on Klaus. 

 

“Sure” Diego says, jamming the keys into the ignition and starting the engine. It awakes with a soft hum. “Just got my paycheck, too. We can splurge.” 

 

The car ride is short, filled with soft chatter and silly jokes. Klaus finds that he's genuinely enjoying himself, and ben looks up at him at some point with a soft smile. His heart feels warm and full- the bottle of whiskey hidden in his pocket temporarily forgotten in favour of his dear siblings. He hasn't felt this good since all the way before the mausoleum. 

 

They pull into the car lot. Its empty, save for a discreet black car tucked into the farthest corner. Klaus is instantly suspicious, but holds it down in favour of opening the door for Diego with a flourish. His brother kicks him lightly in the shin. 

 

It's almost empty in the restaurant as well, except, there's a man sitting at the bar, in a formal looking suit. Hes chatting up the waitress, a sweet, old-ish looking woman in a pink dress and white apron. Klaus side eyes them uncertainty as he and Diego walk over to a booth. 

 

They sit down, Diego on the opposite side and ben next to him in the seat. The fake leather underneath them is sticky with some sweet drink long spilled- he shifts uncomfortably until he can find a spot that works. A quiet silence settles among the brothers- not awkward, but not quite comfortable. Just… quiet. Klaus enjoys it. 

 

He doesn't realize his brother is staring at him until the waitress suddenly appears in front of their table, clutching two menus to her chest. She smiles kindly at them and sets the laminated plastic down, then pulls out a pen and notebook and asks if they want drinks. Her voice is sweet with that unmistakable elderly touch to it. 

 

Diego orders a simple coffee, one sugar two milk, and Klaus orders a hot chocolate with extra,  _ extra  _ whipped cream. She smiles at him like one would at a kid and snaps her notebook shut. 

 

“Coming right up!” She chimes. Klaus catches her name tag before she turns, agnes, then she's off in a flourish of pastel pink skirts. He breathes an odd sigh of relief and casts a look to ben. It's not that he doesn't like people- no, he loves people- he's just.. tired. Too tired to deal with a sweet grandma, apparently. 

 

“Klaus?” Diego asks, his voice has a lit of uncertainty to it, like hes not quite comfortable with what he's asking. Klaus cringes internally and turns to his brother. He recognizes this tone of voice, god, if he hasn't heard it a million times from ben or any one of his siblings. Anxiety catches his breath as he responds with an all to confident “mhm?”  It feels like acid on his tongue. 

 

“W-well, i uh, i wanted to make sure t-that you’re,” he hesitates, taking a slow breath and catching klaus’ eyes. “I wanted to make sure that you’re ok, you know, mentally.” 

 

Klaus’ hands idly play with the feathers around the cuffs of his jacket. His rich hazel eyes avoid Diego's like the plague. He can't. Not now. 

 

Klaus opens his mouth to say something, probably a self deprecating joke, but he's cut off by the fast paced click of heels. The medium glances up and spots the waitress- Agnes- making her way towards them with a plate of cups. She maneuvers with the speed and grace that only a long time waitress can. It's almost like a dance, Klaus muses idly. If he stared hard enough, he could envision her in a gorgeous silk dress, dancing about and on top of tables, a silver platter of martinis spinning atop her delicate fingers. 

 

He’s snapped out of his strange day dream by the clatter of ceramic on plastic. Agnes was standing in front of their table, gently settings down two mugs and two cups of water. He doesn't recall seeing her walk over. 

 

Klaus casts an uncertain glance at Diego. He's watching him carefully, dark eyes trained on his brother like he might disappear if he looked away. Klaus doesn't totally believe that he wouldn't. Still, the stare unsettles him, but he distracts himself by licking some of the whipped cream off the top of his hot chocolate. Diego crinkles his nose in disgust and Klaus counts it as a victory. 

 

Agnes asks if they want to order, but diego just shakes his head no. She nearly trips over herself getting back to the man in the suit who, to Klaus’ dismay, is still there. A silence settles again. This time, its heavier. Klaus notes that diego doesn't even touch his coffee. 

 

He distracts himself by scooping up his menu and almost hiding himself behind it, shifting in just a way that ben could see, too. Ben has been quiet the whole time, but he doesn't question it. Probably giving him the silent treatment. Its as he's pointing out a particularly diabetes- inducing pancake that Klaus smells it. 

 

Death, ash and fire. 

 

Hes snapped the menu down so hard it cracks like a whip in the tense silence. There's Five, sitting across from him on Diego’s left, packed between diego and the wall. He's giving Klaus a  _ look,  _ the look he gave him the two other times he saw him. Dead, and haunted. A shiver runs down his spine. 

 

“ _ Klaus _ ” five says in a surprisingly pissed off tone. “ _ The apocalypse is coming in eight days. I need you to talk to go a lab- ill lead you there- you have to go NOW.”  _ Klaus swallows and looks away. He can't deal with this right now. Ben says something but he's not really paying attention, eyes glued to the dirty table top. Diego is giving him yet another strange look. In the distance, Agnes and Suit Guy are staring. Klaus wants to rip his hair out. 

 

Suddenly, he's moving. He doesnt realize hes up until the cool metal of the door handle meets the sweaty palm of his hand. He’s breathing hard, and the pulse of his own heart drowns out Diego, Ben and Fives collective voices. 

 

Klaus rushes out and heaves as the cool night air cools his skin. He turns and leans against the brick wall, sinking down and fisting his hair. 

 

He isn't ready for this. 

 

Klaus doesn't know how long he's sitting there, though long enough for the damp gravel to soak into his pants and leave tiny indents on his bare skin. It feels like minutes, but really, it could easily be seconds stretched into eternity. 

 

Distantly, the jingle of the front door bells sound. Klaus freezes. In the corner of his eye, he can see a shadow, though the face is obscured by shadows. His heart is pounding so hard it starts a tremor in his hand. 

 

The shadow moves closer and crouches in front of Klaus, and he's never been more relieved to see Diego’s face. He holds out a shaky hand to his brother, which he accepts, clasping his own pale hand between two strong ones. Klaus sighs quietly at the touch. 

 

“Klaus… what's wrong?” Diego murmurs. His voice is uncharacteristically soft and gentle. Klaus is silent for a long moment. When he does speak, his voice is shaky and weak. 

 

“I can see Fives ghost.” 


	4. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short look on Fives viewpoint.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!! This chapter is just a kinda short filler, sorry. I wanted to write from fives pov and get a handle on it before moving further with the story. Also!! I might be posting some art of this fic and/or some short oneshots from the au on my tumblr (@speedy-boy-wonder) so id really appreciate it if u checked it out!

Five is fed up. 

 

He just wants Klaus to _listen_ to him. Is it really too much to ask of his addict brother to convince his dysfunctional family that their dead brothers ghost has informed him that the end of the world is on the horizon? He spent _years_ trying to contact Klaus, years of mathematical formulas, starvation, dehydration, _pain,_ yet his brother _still_ _won’t listen him._

 

It's killing him. Again. 

 

For now though, there's nothing that he can do. The literal wall of drugs his brother has created, though crumbling, is still a pain to crawl through. His hands are torn and covered in scratches, not bleeding, since apparently ghosts could get wounds but not bleed. So, he's stuck on the other side. 

 

He watches silently, from the passenger seat of Diego’s car, as Klaus and his leather-swamped brother giggle and waste time. From what he understands, in his loose grip on english, they're going to get breakfast. He finds that he can't look at anything else other than his brother, as if his eyes themselves can tear through the wall and grant him access to his brothers mind. 

 

Its infuriating. Each time he manages to open a hole, it closes in a few moments, so he has to be fast. Ben seems to have a free pass to go where he pleases, in and out of the wall like he was some kind of Klaus exclusive VIP. Apparently he doesn't get the same treatment. 

 

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Except, instead of a devil, it's his Eldritch monster of a brother. Ben fades into his version of reality, peeling himself from klaus like paint off a wall. He stares his brother down blankly. He doesn't want to talk to him right now. 

 

Ben, it seems, has other ideas. He stares at Five for a moment before leaning forwards slightly. Instinctually, Five leanes back, and ben has the audacity to look hurt. He ignores it. 

 

“How long has it been for you?” Ben asks in a whisper. Five doesnt understand the need- it's only him, Ben, and a few stray ghosts amongst the roadside. 

 

“Six years since I died. Plus three trying to contact Klaus.” Five responds as smoothly as he can in his smoke ridden voice. Ben looks upset. 

 

“So, that makes you twenty-two.” He says with a frown, eyes staring hard at fives dirt soaked face. Five only shrugs, the only reason he counted was to remember his siblings ages, and estimates on when plant life would begin growing again. There were no birthdays in the apocalypse. 

 

A silence stretches between the two ghost brothers, Five glaring out the window with his body still half turned to Klaus, and ben glaring at Five like he was trying to solve some great puzzle. Five wishes he would stop- he doesn't like the attention. It unsettles him. Absently, his finger comes up to his mouth and he gnaws on the spindly limb quietly. Ben gives him a weird look. 

 

“Why are you doing that?” Ben asks. Five shrugs again, then pauses to take his finger out of his mouth. 

 

“Makes me feel not hungry.” He responds and shoves his finger back into his mouth. Ben reaches over and lightly slaps his hand. 

 

Five reacts instantly, hissing like an animal and scrabbling backward. He presses against the dashboard and clutches his hand to his chest like Ben had burned him. His skin tingles and goosebumps breakout over his flesh. 

 

“Don't TOUCH me!” He cries. Ben, surprisingly, doesn't flinch. Fives breath feels stuck in his throat, vision blurry with unshed tears. He doesn't know why it upsets him so much- doesn't understand the overwhelming feeling building up in his stomach. 

 

He misses Delores. 

 

Without a word, Ben disappears, going back to Klaus’ reality. It takes Five longer than he'd like to admit to realize they'd arrived at the restaurant, and his siblings were already heading inside. 

 

Heaving a deep sigh, Five wipes his eyes and cracks his knuckles. 

 

He’s ok. Its ok. 

 

He phases through the car door and follows his mess of a family into the doughnut shoppe. 


	5. Panic attacks and red hondas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diego thinks things over with Klaus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hfdhdhhdhdhdhd hello! Updates might b slow im sorry, my phone battery is broken so i can only update on my laptop. Anyways- heres thw next chapter!  
> EDIT: somethin funkys happening with the spaces, sorry

 

When Diego first hears the words that come out of his brothers mouth- _“I can see Fives ghosts”-_ he honestly, actually believes him.

It would make sense, right?

His brother is a medium. He can see dead people, and can speak to them. Its haunted him and his ability to function as a natural human, just like it had the rest of the hargreeves. Klaus carried the burden of super-powers just as much as his siblings did.

But yet, he's been high off his ass since Klaus discovered that first bottle of painkillers after he broke his jaw. It's common knowledge that drugs keep Klaus from seeing the dead.

So.

The only logical option is that he's making it up.

Diego feels sick. Unsure what to do, he stares at his brother for a long moment, carefully evaluating his panicked state. He’s hysterical, pushed to the edge by God knows what, and now has told Diego he's seen Fives ghost. He's making it up.

Five isnt dead. He can't be. Strong, bold, young Five, who disappeared at thirteen to God knows where. Diego had assumed he’d just left. And, if Five had died, why was he only just contacting him _now?_ Or, had this been a long time thing? Had Klaus potentially been in contact with Five for years, but never said? Never told his siblings and gave them the closure they deserved?

Diego was perpetually stuck between believing Klaus and _not_ believing Klaus. He was his brother, but he was also an addict, so how reliable could this information be?

“Klaus…..” Diego says slowly, a thousand words on his lips. What the _fuck_ do you say when your druggie medium brother tells you he sees your long gone brothers corpse? His free hand hovers over Klaus’ shoulder, unsure.

“You..I… God, fuck Klaus. What- what have you been taking?” Is what comes out of his mouth instead of all the things he _should_ have said- and he knows he's fucked up majorly when a crestfallen look destroys his brothers face. Klaus pulls his hand away from diegos and clutches it to his chest like he’d burned him.

“I'm not on SHIT, Diego! I-I’ve been clean for like, a day or something!” There's so much _hurt_ in Klaus’ voice, one would think Diego kicked his puppy, or something equally terrible. His stomach churns with guilt. He wasn't the person to be handling this situation. Allison would have said the right thing, or Vanya. Fuck, even _Luther_ could have done better than him. Well, no, Luther was a dick and he couldn't do shit. Still, though, this was all going terribly and it was Diego’s fault.

“Klaus, I-I,  just, hold on for a second.” Diego takes a slow, deep breath, and sets his hand on Klaus’ shoulder. Klaus hesitates, then gives a curt nod, glaring at his brother but allowing him time to think.

“You….. you can see Fives ghost?” Diego says it slowly, like he's testing the words on his tongue. They burn like acid. Klaus nods once, then a second time, opening his mouth to respond, but Diego stops him.

“And, you're trying to go clean, so you can see him more?” Klaus nods again.

_Okay, were getting somewhere,_ Diego thinks. His hand fidgets on Klaus’ shoulder, taking comfort in the soft plush fabric.

“How long have you seen him?” Klaus is silent a moment. When he speaks, his voice is cracked and wavering.

“Just for a few days. He-“ Klaus cuts himself off, swallowing thickly. Diego frowns. He's not telling him something.

“He…?” Diego prompts. The grip on Klaus’ shoulder tightens just enough to let his brother know he means business. This is serious.

“He… well, you see, ah.” Klaus laughs nervously and looks away, eyes darting about the small parking lot. Diego's legs are starting to hurt from the awkward position, and it can't be comfortable for Klaus sitting on the gravel, so Diego makes a split second decision and hoists Klaus up by the arm. He makes a surprised squeak and stumbles, but diego's got a good grip on him.

Together they speed walk back to the car. Smartly, Diego had dropped some cash on the table before they left. That sweet waitress didn't deserve to be stood up. Diego nudges open the passenger car door and dumps klaus in it, then maneuvers around the hood and into the drivers side. He heaves another long, slow breath. This was going to be one hell of a ride.

Diego starts the car up with shaky hands, slamming on the gas and veering out of the parking lot. Distantly, he was upset he didn't get to finish his coffee, or get to have a normal night out with his brother. He couldn't care about that right now though, with Klaus in hysterics not moments before. No, he had to get klaus home, and call a family meeting, or something. Yea, that seemed smart. Then, Klaus could tell everyone what he told Diego, and they could debate about his honesty. If Klaus was telling the truth, it could change _everything._

He's about to start talking to his beloved brother, when a bullet shatters the back window and buries itself into the headrest. Klaus screams, diego screams, and another bullet shatters the front window. Diego jerks the wheel to the side, swerving along the edge of the road. More bullets whiz past them, burying themselves along the side of the car as the attacker pulled up on the drivers side of them.

Diego glanced over, heart pounding. It was the car in the parking lot from Griddleys- tucked in the back corner, the one belonging to the man who was hitting up the waitress. Infact, said man was hanging out the passenger seat window, an ak47 clutched between his fingers. Beside him sat a woman with dark hair, but Diego couldn't get a good look at her features.

“We just want the boy!” Suit guy shouted, and jesus if Diego wasn't confused. He was tempted to roll down the window, but not only did that seem like he was asking to be shot dead between the eyes, but the road was ending soon. Up ahead was a stop light, red, and a small gathering of cars waiting for it to change. Diego knew what he had to do.

Klaus was still screaming. Diego took a slow breath, then, white-knuckling the wheel, jerked it opposite of the car beside them. Klaus’ voice pitched high as they raced over the cement barrier and swerved into the lane going in the other direction. They narrowly dodged a red honda that was in the same lane, just barely managing to keep from flying into the second lane and onto the sidewalk. A flurry of bullets followed them in their wake, shattering the window of the red honda and breaking what Diego assumed to be one of his tail lights. As they raced away from the attackers car, down the empty road, Diego let himself heave a quiet sigh of relief.

Behind them, the driver of the red honda slumps down against the wheel, dead. His foot doesn't move off the gas pedal. The car moves faster, faster, until it crashes into the back of Diego’s car and forces it off the road.

The car crashes into a bug infested lamppost.

Everything goes dark.


End file.
